Copending U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,829,670, 5,950,909, and 5,785,242 (the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference) show the desirability of providing particular configurations of pressure activated cohesive. The pressure activated cohesive utilizable in these applications, and according to the invention, is preferably of the type such as sold commercially by Toppan Forms of Japan under the trade designation TN124, a styrene-natural rubber copolymer, and such as also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,918,128, 5,190,818, 5,314,944 and 5,427,851, and such as shown in U.S. pending application Ser. No. 09/507,932 filed Feb. 22, 2000, entitled Pressure Sensitive Cohesive Composition, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
According to the present invention, a business form intermediate is provided with particular positioning of the patterns of pressure activated cohesive so as to substantially preclude the cohesive patterns sticking to each other when the intermediates are in roll or stack (e.g. pad refolding) configuration prior to forming the final mailers, such as using Moore SpeediSealer.RTM. equipment, available from Moore U.S.A. of Lake Forest, Ill. The mailer type business form intermediates according to the invention are particularly for Z-fold forms. The Z-fold form intermediates according to the invention provide a pressure activated cohesive in the form of spaced discrete elements which are shaped, dimensioned, and positioned so that the cohesive elements substantially do not overlap (engage) each other when in roll or stack (including pad refolding) configuratoins. This allows a maximum strength cohesive to be utilized so that the holding power of each of the individual discrete elements of cohesive is sufficient to provide effective sealing of the form, as opposed to mere tacking.
According to one aspect of the present invention a Z-fold mailer type business form intermediate is provided comprising the following components: A sheet or web of paper having first and second faces, first and second end lines substantially parallel to each other, and first and second side lines substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first and second end lines. First and second fold lines extending substantially parallel to each other and to the end lines for dividing the sheet or web between the end lines, into first, second and third panels. First and second lines of weakness spaced from but adjacent and substantially parallel to the first and second side lines, defining first and second tear-off edges in a mailer produced from the intermediate. A first pattern of pressure activated cohesive comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the first end line on the first face, and a second pattern which cooperates with the first pattern when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines to form a mailer. The second pattern disposed adjacent the second fold line on the first face. A third pattern of pressure activated cohesive comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the second end line of the second face and a fourth pattern which cooperates with the third pattern when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines to form a mailer, the fourth pattern disposed adjacent the first fold line on the second face. The first and second pattern elements shaped and dimensioned and positioned with respect to the third and fourth pattern elements so that they substantially do not overlap in roll or stack form. Typically outgoing address indicia (both human readable and machine readable) is on (having been imaged on either using a printer or some other imaging technique) the third panel first face. Fifth and sixth patterns of pressure activated adhesive each comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the first and second lines of weakness respectively in the tear-off edges on the first face and positioned so that the elements thereof cooperate with each other when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines. Seventh and eighth patterns of pressure activated adhesive each comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the first and second lines of weakness respectively on the second face and positioned so that the elements thereof cooperate with each other when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines. And the fifth and seventh, and the sixth and eighth, patterns positioned and spaced from each other in a dimension substantially parallel to the end edges, and so that the patterns substantially do not overlap in roll or stack form.
Typically at least the majority of, and preferably all, of the elements are rectangular in shape having a length and a width, and the elements in the second through fourth patterns are spaced from each other a distance greater than the length (but not so much greater as to interfere with the sealing capability thereof). Typically the elements in at least some of the fifth through eighth patterns are spaced from each other a distance greater than the length of the elements in those patterns.
The end lines may be end edges, and the intermediate second side line may be joined with a second intermediate, that is there may be a "two up" configuration of intermediates. The end and side lines may both be end and side edges, and eventually are at some stage during production, while the end lines are typically lines of weakness during at least early stages of production when the intermediates are in a continuous web format.
The fifth and sixth patterns are typically provided in the first and second panel tear-off edges and the seventh and eighth patterns in the second and third panel tear-off edges. Also, typically the fifth and sixth, or seventh and eighth, patterns are substantially immediately adjacent the first and second lines of weakness whereas the others are spaced from the first and second lines of weakness a dimension greater than the width of the elements immediately adjacent the lines of weakness.
The intermediate according to the invention may be used in both uniform Z-fold and eccentric Z-fold configurations, and the term "Z-fold" encompasses both. In a uniform Z-fold configuration, the first, second and third panels all have substantially the same dimensions, while in an eccentric Z-fold configuration at least one of the panels has at least a first dimension (along the side edges of the intermediate) different than at least one of the other panels. Therefore, when the first through fourth panels are recited as "adjacent" a particular line or edge, it is to be understood that they need not necessarily be immediately adjacent, and will not be if they are associated with an eccentric Z-fold configuration.
Typically, the elements of the first through fourth patterns each have substantially the same length dimension substantially parallel to the end lines; and wherein the elements are spaced from each other in the direction of the length dimension a distance slightly greater than the length dimension but not so much greater so as to preclude effective sealing. The elements of the first through fourth patterns typically have a length dimension of between about 0.8-1 cm (e.g. about 0.9 cm), and a spacing of between about 1.2-1.5 cm (e.g. about 1.3 cm). Typically the elements of one of the first and second patterns, and third and fourth patterns, has a width dimension of about 0.1 cm greater (e.g. a width dimension of about 0.5 cm compared to 0.3 cm) than the other of the first and second patterns; and third and fourth patterns; typically the second or fourth pattern elements having a width dimension of at least about 0.1 cm greater than the first and third pattern elements.
According to another aspect of the present invention a Z-fold mailer type business form intermediate is provided comprising the following components: A sheet or web of paper having first and second faces, first and second end lines substantially parallel to each other, and first and second side lines substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first and second end lines. First and second fold lines extending substantially parallel to each other and to the end lines for dividing the sheet or web between the end lines, into first, second and third panels. First and second lines of weakness spaced from but adjacent and substantially parallel to the first and second side lines, defining first and second tear-off edges in a mailer produced from the intermediate. A first pattern of pressure activated cohesive comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the first end line on the first face, and a second pattern which cooperates with the first pattern when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines to form a mailer. The second pattern disposed adjacent the second fold line on the first face. A third pattern of pressure activated cohesive comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the second end line of the second face and a fourth pattern which cooperates with the third pattern when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines to form a mailer, the fourth pattern disposed adjacent the first fold line on the second face. The first and second pattern elements shaped and dimensioned and positioned with respect to the third and fourth pattern elements so that they substantially do not overlap in roll or stack form. The elements of the first through fourth patterns each having substantially the same length dimension substantially parallel to the end lines. And wherein the elements are spaced from each other in the direction of the length dimension a distance slightly greater than the length dimension but not so much greater so as to preclude effective sealing when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines to form a mailer. The details of the individual components preferably are as described above.
According yet another aspect of the present invention, a Z-fold mailer type business form intermediate is provided comprising the following components: A sheet or web of paper having first and second faces, first and second end lines substantially parallel to each other, and first and second side lines substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first and second end lines. First and second fold lines extending substantially parallel to each other and to the end lines for dividing the sheet or web between the end lines, into first, second and third panels. First and second lines of weakness spaced from but adjacent and substantially parallel to the first and second side lines, defining first and second tear-off edges in a mailer produced from the intermediate. Fifth and sixth patterns of pressure activated adhesive each comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the first and second lines of weakness respectively in the tear-off edges on the first face and positioned so that the elements thereof cooperate with each other when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines. Seventh and eighth patterns of pressure activated adhesive each comprising spaced distinct sealing elements disposed adjacent the first and second lines of weakness respectively on the second face and positioned so that the elements thereof cooperate with each other when the intermediate is Z-folded about the fold lines. The fifth and seventh, and the sixth and eighth, patterns positioned and spaced from each other in a dimension substantially parallel to the end edges, and so that the patterns substantially do not overlap in roll or stack form. Wherein the fifth and sixth, or seventh and eighth, patterns are substantially immediately adjacent the first and second lines of weakness whereas the others are spaced from the first and second lines of weakness a dimension greater than the width of the elements immediately adjacent the lines of weakness. And wherein the elements on the opposite faces of the second panel are spaced from each other in the dimension of the side lines.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a Z-fold mailer type business form intermediate which can be provided in roll or stack form without the pressure activated cohesive elements thereof significantly engaging each other so that sticking of various portions of the roll or stack together, with corresponding processing difficulties, do not occur. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.